Aquaponics is being utilized in classrooms across the country to excite and engage students and teachers. Aquaponics is the art/science of growing fish and plants in a symbiotic relationship in a single system. It is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. The fish are fed a high quality prepared diet and their waste is used as fertilizer to grow plants. The plants in turn act as a filter to clean the water that can be returned to the fish tank. There is tremendous interest in aquaponics and aquaculture as a platform to teach real world applications of biology, chemistry, math and science. Working with an aquaponics system also requires technical skills in plumbing, carpentry and sometimes masonry. It is an excellent tool to examine the different elements of business management and marketing.

The trouble is that most teachers don’t have any training in aquaponics. The Aquaculture/Aquaponics 101 Workshop provides hands-on training and expert advice on how to start and operate an aquaponics system and provides resource materials to help integrate the knowledge into existing curricula. Teachers will design and build a complete aquaponics system that they can take back to their school. Expert instruction is provided by faculty from Auburn University, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Gadsden State Community College and the Alabama, Mississippi Sea Grant Consortium.

The workshop will be held at the E.W. Shell Fisheries Center at Auburn University, July 9-13th, 2018 in Auburn, AL.